A Gentle Push
by Mandanicole12
Summary: Tsubomi still isn't ready to tell Yaya she has feelings for her, but she may not have a choice when her friends start to pull out Yaya's possessive side.
1. Chapter 1

A swift breeze swept through Astrea Hill as two girls moseyed their way back to the Strawberry Dorms. One's dark hair flowed around in the wind freely, while the other's wavy blonde locks were tucked delicately inside her coat to keep them from being messed up. "Hikari! Yaya!" The girls turned to see a blob of pink darting through the crowd toward them. As the younger girl reached hearing distance, Yaya clung on to HIkari's arm playfully.

"Come on, let's run!" She pretended to pull on Hikari's arm as the blonde giggled. The pink haired girl puffed up in anger.

"Why would Hikari run from someone? She's Etoile now! Think about it, Baka…" She turned her head away from the girls in irritation.

"Why can't you make your own friends? Are you not friendly enough? Shocking." Yaya smirked in amusement as she watched the pink girl scramble for words.

"I have my own friends! Better friends than you! Hikari is the only nice one! No wonder she became Etoile." She crossed her arms over her chest, but still had to keep her walking pace fast to keep up with the two older girls.

"Speaking of friends Tsubomi, wasn't that one of your friends you were walking with from choir practice?" Hikari leaned around Yaya shyly.

"Yes, Hanai was waiting around on me. She hates to walk back by herself."

"So she waited the entire time we practiced? Do you owe her something? I wouldn't have waited that long." Tsubomi angrily threw her hands in the air.

"Of course you wouldn't! You're Yaya! You wouldn't do anything for _anybody_!" Her light pink hair kissed Yaya's cheek as she whirled around, storming off away from them in a huff.

"Yaya… you shouldn't upset her like that. Her friend is really nice. She's introduced me before. That Hanai adores Tsubomi, somewhat like Tomao adores Nagisa." Hikari shook her head knowingly. No matter what happened, the pink haired girl would always end up storming off in anger from one of Yaya's comments. Hikari took the opportunity to branch off from Yaya to tend to her Etoile duties, encouraging Yaya to go back to the dorms with Tsubomi.

The younger girl didn't get very far before she was yoinked from behind by a dark haired beauty. "Yaya! Baka baka baka! Let go! Baka!" She struggled to squirm free, but soon realized it was useless to fight the older girl. She had figured it out very quickly after Yaya had first started trying to hold on to her that the older girl had a death grip when she wanted one.

"I really don't want to leave you alone with Hikari later when I have to go to my choir chair meeting. I'm thinking of skipping." She leaned her head forward so her chin could rest on Tsubomi's shoulder.

Yaya had always been like this. She was annoying and constantly tried to pick fights, but she was also very possessive and super clingy when it came to her friends. She hung all over Hikari until Amane came along. Since then Tsubomi had been her main focus. No matter her mood, she seem to love to glomp Tsubomi and make her squirm. Of course, Tsubomi didn't care. She loved having the older girl paying attention to her. Whether she ever admitted it or not, Tsubomi loved everything Yaya put her through. She didn't even care that bickering was their only form of communication. At least she got to talk to her. The first time she saw Yaya, it was like all the wind had been knocked out of her.

She was observing clubs the saturday after classes had begun. All her friends wanted to join clubs, and she would be left alone if she didn't find one to join as well. She went through several without any luck of finding something that perked her interest. Her friends were all athletic, so they were in sports. She didn't care for all the running, though she was rather fit. She wondering passed the chapel, only to hear a beautiful voice drifting around the corner to snag her hears. The voice was heavenly. Its lilting sound pulled the pink haired girl toward it.

As she rounded the corner, her eyes fell on a tall dark haired girl leaning against the side of the chapel wall. A blonde stood close by, but watched quietly. Tsubomi only watched the girl singing though. Her breath came in shallow movements and she felt light headed. Who was this goddess? She hadn't seen her around campus, though she did wear a Spican uniform. What year was she? Where did she come from? What was her name?

The voice cut off and brought the young girl back to where she was. The dark hair girl stalked over to her with what seemed like irritation. "Why are you staring at Hikari like that? You shouldn't even be back here!" Her mind didn't even process the reaction before it was too late.

"Doesn't that mean you shouldn't be either? Baka." She heard the blonde giggle as she walked up behind the dark haired girl.

"Yaya, calm down. She probably heard you singing. Do you sing?" The blonde girl had a curious look as she leaned in slightly closer with her hands behind her back. Tsubomi had never considered singing before. She knew Spica had a choir, but the thought of joining had never crossed her mind. Of course she had sung in elementary recitals and whatnot, but she had never thought of continuing to sing.

"Uh, well… are you in the choir?" She didn't know what else to say. Having Yaya staring at her like that made her words hard to find and disconnected her mouth from her brain.

The blonde giggled once more. She seemed to be quite happy, or at least her personality did. "Yes. So is Yaya. She is second chair, and for very good reasons as you could hear."

"The only reason I am is because Hikari declined the spot." She highly doubt that. Yaya's voice was divine in itself. She had never met someone as close to being a goddess as Yaya was, and that even included Etoile Shizuma. This girl was perfect to Tsubomi, even if the only way she could talk to her was arguing.

Tsubomi was brought out of her thoughts abruptly. She could feel Yaya's arms coiling around her waist tighter. She wasn't sure if it was her imagination or not, but she could have swore she could have heard a slight rumble coming from the older girl's chest. She turned her head up to look at the older girl. Her narrowed eyes and tense muscles seemed to radiate aggravation.

"Tsubomi!" The pink haired girl looked back to see Hanai stop in front of her. She felt Yaya's arms tighten that much more around her. "Who's this? Your girlfriend?" She innocently assumed the older girl wrapping her arms around her friend was a display of affection. If only it were true. Tsubomi blushed bright red at the thought.

"No! This stupid baka doesn't know how to keep her hands to herself!" She frantically clawed at Yaya's arms, trying to keep her embarrassment to a minimum. Feeling almost sad due to the loss of warmth around her waist, she felt the older girl release her instantly. She turned to look at her curiously. Yaya had never made it that easy to get loose before, even if other people were around. She had set her jaw and crossed her arms across her chest furiously. She refused to look at Tsubomi, but also didn't imply she planned to leave Tsubomi's side.

"Tsubomi, we need to study for our exam tomorrow. Want to go to the library with me?" Hanai didn't wait for the pink haired girl to answer. She pulled her along behind her at a rapid pace. Tsubomi looked back to Yaya worriedly. She didn't want to leave her alone, nor did she want to leave the warmth she knew awaited her in the long slender arms. Yaya stared after them with a straight face, but clearly wasn't happy about losing her younger friend. Before she could disappear from vision, Yaya mumbled about not needing Tsubomi to hold on to anyway. The pink haired girl's stomach knotted instantly. She wished with every fiber of her body that she could run back to the dark haired girl and let her glomp all she wanted. She hated when Yaya became depressed. Hanai really had a knack for bad timing.


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: Okay guys, I'm sorry its taken so long to update. I've been super busy the past few weeks, and also been struggling with inspiration. *sigh* It comes and it goes. Anyway, I'm not sure if this is my best chapter, but I'll try to get chapter 3 up shortly and not wait as long. I hope you guys like it though! Leave me a review so I know what to work on! :D**

As Yaya walked along side her pink haired underclassmen, she noticed the younger girl bouncing about in excitement. She had been in a good mood all morning. Tsubomi hadn't even argued with her when Yaya tried to pick fights. It felt stranged, like she was being ignored or something. "What's up with you today? You didn't even get mad at me when I said you would get fat eating those sweets this morning." A smirk played at the corners of Yaya's lips, hoping she could get a reaction from her friend. But no such luck graced her.

Tsubomi smiled brightly, not even letting the older girl's words register. "Don't play dumb. You know exactly what today is." There seemed to be a light skip in her step. She hadn't even complained that Hikari left her alone all day with Yaya because of Etoile duties.

"Actual, would you mind reminding me again? I have no clue why you're so happy." Tsubomi's smile faded when she saw her companion was serious.

"Yaya… it's parents' day remember? Its supposed to happen every year after the Etoile elections are over with. I can't believe you didn't remember!" Tsubomi was bewildered by the dumbstruck girl beside her. "You seriously didn't know?"

"Well…" Yaya rubbed the back of her neck like she was uncomfortable with where the conversation had turned. "I guess I just forgot. Anyway, I have to be somewhere. So I'll see you around okay?" She didn't even wait for the younger girl to respond. She darted away toward the dorms at lightning speed. Tsubomi shook her head in frustration, but figured Yaya had to clean up her room before everyone got there so she continued on to choir practice.

It was early afternoon when Yaya finally emerged from her dorm. She hadn't wanted to deal with today's stress, so she went to take a nap after calming down. Since today was an event, all the girls were wearing their uniforms, even though it was a Saturday. The dark haired girl wasn't pleased by having to wear the tight fitting clothes, but she obliged so she could still go out and about to the booths that had been set up. It felt more like a cultural festival than a parents' day. Food booths and club booths littered the wide walkways, and girl's and their families stretched out in front of Yaya for as far as she could see. It would be impossible to find any of her friends in this mess. She doubted any of them would have time for her anyway.

She caught a momentary glimpse of light pink hair float through the crowd. Within seconds Tsubomi emerged from the cluster of people quite a bit flustered. She didn't seem to be looking around for her family, so maybe they hadn't come. A smile pricked at Yaya's nervous mouth. She didn't want to lose the chance to be with a friend.

Coming up behind the younger girl, she yoinked her up in a tight embrace. The pink head struggled frantically until she heard unrestrained laughter from the taller girl behind her. Yaya placed her back on the ground, but didn't remove her arms from around Tsubomi's waist. Her grip only tightened with every person that passed by them. "If you squeeze any tighter you get to see what I had for breakfast!" Another fit of laughter emanated from the older girl.

"What's wrong Tsubomi? Can't handle me today? This morning you wouldn't even listen when I was talking to you. It's like you were a different person." The pink haired girl ignored the comments when she saw a group of four coming toward them.

"Baka! Let go of me!" Yaya was surprised by how hard Tsubomi was fighting to get lose, and ended up letting her slip away. "Baka baka baka! Don't grab me! Stupid baka!" Her face had turned so red it made her hair look watered down. What was going on with her today? One minute she would be the happiest person in the world, and the next she was screaming baka over and over again.

"Tsubomi? Who's this?" Yaya looked up from the younger girl's enraged eyes to see two men and two women staring at her intently. She staggered back from shock. The two women both looked like older versions of Tsubomi. One of the men even had some of her facial traits.

"Uh… this is… well…" Her red face hadn't dulled whatsoever. It seemed to get darker by the second in fact.

"Yaya! You're going to be at the performance tomorrow right?!" Tsubomi and Yaya turned to some girls passing by that frequented choir practice to listen to the dark haired girl sing. She had gained quite a few fans that year because of all the solos she had received. Yaya nodded lightly. She gave a light wave, making the three girls squeal happily. "We're looking forward to it! See you at tomorrow's practice!" They ran off giggling and glancing back to her excitedly.

"So is Yaya one of your friends Tsubomi? She's quite tall for your age huh?" The older woman smile sincerely at Yaya almost immediately.

"Uh… Mom this is Yaya Nanto. She's a friend from choir. She's actually a third year." Tsubomi shifted her attention to Yaya in annoyance. "Yaya, this is my family. My mom and dad, and my sister and her boyfriend."

"Its nice to meet you. I'm sorry I interrupted. Please accept my apologies." Yaya bowed her head, quickly trying to scamper away before Tsubomi dug into her.

"Yaya wait a minute!" She froze in place. She knew it was no use. This girl would hesitate to chase her down if she thought something was wrong. "Where's your family at? I introduced mine didn't I? Or is Hikari only special enough to meet them?" A small pout formed on the younger girl's bottom lip. It was probably the cutest thing Yaya had since her do.

"Well… um…" She rubbed the back of her neck in embarrassment. Her face turned five shades of red and she diverted her eyes from her underclassmen. Tsubomi's jaw almost dropped open when she saw the way Yaya was acting. Yaya _never_ got embarrassed. Not even in front of new people like her family. Then it dawned on her.

"Yaya…" She made the older girl look at her, not being able to hide the concern on her face. "Your parents didn't come…?" Her voice had dropped so low, it was barely more than a whisper. Now she understood why Yaya hadn't remembered what day it was that morning, or why she ran away so fast when she asked why. Yaya didn't want to remember. She knew ahead of time that her parents wouldn't be attending.

"Well… my dad got transferred over seas a couple months ago. So… my family couldn't make it back for just one day. Its not a big deal. Its whatever." She shrugged her shoulders, but still couldn't look into the younger girl's face.

"Why don't you be with us today then? We'll be a makeshift family. No sense being all alone today." Tsubomi's sister placed an arm around her younger sister's shoulders and stared at Yaya invitingly. As much as Yaya would love to go along to pester the first year, she didn't want to ruin Tsubomi's fun when she was obviously excited about seeing her family.

"Thank you very much, but I actually have something I have to do. I was on my way there when I spotted Tsubomi. Thank you again though." She bowed once more, managing to slip away this time without the little pink head trailing after her. She walked toward the chapel at a snail's pace. She was positive no one would be there at this time because of all the guests getting shown around.

Tsubomi laughed happily at her father's joke. They were eating a late lunch in the cafeteria, but mainly killing time until Tsubomi could figure out what else to show her family. "So you're in the Spica choir right? What made you join? I mean over the other clubs around campus." Tsubomi's sister thought Astrea was the most fascinating school she had ever been to. She had of course went to a regular co-ed high school, so she didn't get the same experience.

"Well… I actually joined because of Yaya." She poked at her food nervously, trying not to make eye contact.

"So you joined just so you could be in a club with your friend?" Her father didn't seem very pleased with that answer.

"No, but she was the reason I joined. I got to hear her singing unfiltered, and it was amazing. I thought maybe choir could teach me to sing like that, and Yaya could tutor me or something." Tsubomi felt a hand on her shoulder and jumped instantly.

"Yaya would be a great teacher if you asked her." Hikari smiled brightly at the younger girl and her family.

"Mom, Dad, this is Hikari. She is one of our Etoiles, and also best friends and roommates with Yaya." Tsubomi's cheeks reddened when she realized she had been caught by Hikari, talking about Yaya.

"I think she's actually in the chapel right now. She's been practicing in there for a couple hours, but I think she's just nervous about her solo tomorrow." The pink head's eyes sparked at the idea of going to see Yaya singing.

"Would you guys like to see the chapel? I'm sure Hikari could show us around, right?" Hikari shook her head regretfully, explaining she had to find Amane for their duties. "Oh, well I hope you have a good day Hikari!" Tsubomi bounced up from her chair, practically dragging her family out of the building behind her.

As they reached the chapel, she let her family admire their surroundings while she frantically searched for the singer. She didn't hear a single sound throughout the chapel besides her roaming family trying to keep up with her. Her sister opened a side door that lead to a long corridor and a set of wooden doors at the end. Tsubomi jumped in realization. Yaya loved the back of the church. That was even where she first heard her, why shouldn't she check there?

She tried her best to walk as she excitedly reached the end of the corridor. Her family walked up behind, but stayed quiet with the sound of singing coming from around the corner. Tsubomi stopped happily when she spotted the older girl. Yaya leaned against the side of the building nonchalantly, focusing on the sheet music in her hand.

Her voice lilted through the air in radiance, creating an ambience around them that cut them off from the rest of the world. Tsubomi soaked in the floating notes as they passed by, her heart fluttering more and more with each breath Yaya took. Her vocal cords must have been like silk if they could let out the most entrapping sound the group had ever heard. Yaya normally had to restrain herself during choir practice so as not to over shadow everyone, but out here by herself she let her voice flow freely. It was all Tsubomi could do to keep her trembling knees from buckling.

"Maybe I should make that note higher…" Yaya still hadn't noticed her audience several feet away.

"I think it sounds perfect." Yaya jumped in surprise at Tsubomi's voice. She turned to see the group with staring at her with sparkling eyes. She had only seen Tsubomi stare like that at Hikari when they practiced, why was she staring like that now? Hikari was no where around.

"Really? It sounded a bit off to me." She handed the paper over for the younger girl to look through.

"Maybe instead of a strong note, make it a sharp. That way you don't change the note, but it'll still be higher." She handed the paper back, but turned her head swiftly to keep Yaya from seeing her blush. "Baka, couldn't you figure that out?" It took a minute for Yaya to come out of her shock, but she cheerily glomped her pink haired friend in thanks. Tsubomi's face lit up like fire when she felt the brunette snake her arms lightly around her waist.

"Thanks Tsubomi! I'll definitely do that." She gave a cheesy smile to the struggling girl, releasing her quickly. "I better be going. I promised Hikari we could have dinner together tonight. Amane was leaving this afternoon for a competition. So I'll see you later pipsqueak!" She gathered her bag hurriedly and turned to Tsubomi's family. "It was very nice to meet you, and thank you for letting Tsubomi come to Spica. She tends to keep me in line when I need it." With a quick wink, she disappeared around the side of the building.

"You keep her in line?" She couldn't stop her face from burning.

"That baka would sleep all day if I let her! A-And she would be in bed sick all the time if I didn't make her eat right! S-So I guess…" She rolled her eyes at her snickering sister and scurried off back into the chapel.


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: Okay guys, I'm really really sorry about the late update. At the end of chapter 2 of was having to force myself to finish it because I was having some major writer's block. I didn't want to force this chapter too just because I wanted to get it out for you guys. I wanted to make it a good chapter, even if it meant waiting a bit lol. Anyway, I hope you guys like it! Review for me so I know what to fix and what to focus on! :D**

A first year with short brown hair bobbed along behind her friends warily. They had just finished eating lunch, and all of them needed to study due to the upcoming midterms. "Hanai, didn't you and Tsubomi study the other day? How far did you get in the study guide?" One of the girls pulled the brunette out of her daydreams. She snapped her head up quickly, finding the other four girls amusingly staring at her.

"Well, I was the one mainly studying. Tsubomi was just ranting and killing time so she didn't have to see that other girl." The girls suddenly stopped her, interest dripping from every pore in their faces.

"What girl? Did she have a fight with someone?" The same girl prodded inquisitively.

"I don't really know. When I found her that day, an upperclassman had her arms around her and resting her chin on her shoulder. But when I asked who she was, Tsubomi freaked out saying she was just annoying and needed to learn to keep her hands to herself. I don't know if you would consider that fighting or not, but…"

"Well who was the girl?!" Another girl jumped in quickly. Tsubomi had taken almost all year to make friends with the five of them, and showed no interest in anyone else. The fact that an upperclassman was showing her attention was news to them.

"I really don't know. I've never seen her before, but that isn't saying much. Almost the entire year I've been stuck doing errands for some of the Head Mistresses. I don't notice many people these days." They all giggled at her ditzy moment. "Oh! There's Tsubomi. Hey! That's the girl she was with the other day!" She had noticed the pin haired girl further down the path toward the library. Every head snapped around to look for the couple.

"That's Yaya Nanto!" One of the girls jumped up and down excitedly. "She's second chair in Spica's choir! Not to mention gorgeous!" The girls scampered over to greet their friend, hoping to get noticed by the older girl.

"Your logic is ridiculous! If you keep this up you'll fail all of your tests! I'm not your babysitter! I won't take care of you anymore! Fail for all I care!" Tsubomi didn't notice when the group walked up to them, and neither did Yaya.

"Aw, you won't take care of me? But then who will help you mold your voice? Hikari said you wanted my tutoring." The older girl smirked and winked cutely at her younger friend. A deep blush formed on Tsubomi's face when the realization of Hikari's big mouth struck her.

"Why would I want that?! Yaya sounds like a dying cat when she sings!" Yaya puffed up, stepping as close to the younger girl as she could manage. Tsubomi had to watch her balance because of the dizzying effect the close proximity had on her mental state.

"If I sound so bad then why do you listen?" Her mouth fell back into her signature smirk teasingly. "Or is my singing just an excuse for you to be around me?" The pink haired girl reeled back in shock, making Yaya throw her head back in laughter. She quickly grabbed the girl around the waist before she could escape. She couldn't manage to stifle her chuckles, though she tried. "You know you can't let go of me. If you could, you would have left when Hikari became Etoile."

"Baka! Let go of me!" Tsubomi struggled relentlessly against the warm embrace she had grown accustom to. "Baka baka baka!"

"Excuse me?" The two girls jumped in surprise, now seeing the group of first years watching. Hanai looked apologetically at Tsubomi for scaring her.

The pink haired girl remembered the third year's arms around her waist when they tightened greatly at the sight of Hanai. "Yaya! Let go of me! Now! Yaya stop it!" She managed to pull loose of the grasping arms, jumping far out of reach. "Leave me alone! Baka!" She stepped back over next to Hanai, folding her arms over her chest in anger.

Yaya looked stunned by her outburst. Had she gone too far? "Fine. Go be with your friends. Doesn't make a difference to me if you're around or not. You're just a dumb first year anyway." Tsubomi felt tears prick at the back of her eyelids. Yaya was serious. She wasn't smirking or smiling at all. She really was mad at her. It wasn't like she meant what she said, it just came out before she could stop herself. Yaya should know that. She said stuff like that all the time, but it had never upset her before. Why was she getting mad at her? She never got mad about anything Tsubomi said. She normally would have a snide remark to counter anything like that. "Whatever. Have fun with Hanai." Yaya turned on her heels elegantly, gliding down the path toward the dorms with haste.

Tsubomi and her friends spent the next few hours studying for midterms, but she couldn't really concentrate like the rest of them. Everything was eating away at her. She even caught a few tears fall before she noticed, but thankfully no one else seemed to glimpse them. A buzzing noise startled everyone around their small table. Tsubomi excused herself and ran outside to answer her phone before it stopped ringing.

"Tsubomi! Hey, you're coming home for the holiday break after midterms right? Mom and Dad really want you to. I do too of course! But they just wanted me to make sure. You get a week off right? More than enough incentive to come home for the holidays, don't you agree?" Tsubomi's sister energetically tried to coax her sister through the phone.

"Chika, I wasn't really planning on it. I would just end up missing home more if I came back now." She sat down on a bench by the entrance of the library.

"Then bring someone with you, like a friend. That way its home, but with a little Astrea thrown in. Sound good?" Chika giggled quietly, roughly muffled. More than likely her boyfriend was over.

"I'll see what I can do. I have to go study now. If I don't pass my finals, I won't be able to come home anyway. And I really don't want to do make-up courses over break." She said goodbye and quickly scampered back inside. "Who could I bring home with me? More importantly, who would I _want_ to bring home with me?"

"Who was that?" Hanai looked up from her study guide curiously. She always showed interest in what Tsubomi was doing or what she thought about something. She would listen to rant after rant, never growing bored of the heated speech.

"Uh, my sister. Her and my parents are wanting me to come home for break. They want me to bring a friend too." Hanai didn't seem to pick up on the invitation, or if she did she didn't let on.

"Aw, I bet that will be fun. My family is going on vacation as soon as I'm finished testing." Tsubomi sighed in defeat. Maybe she could ask Hikari, though she doubted the blonde would be able to go with her.

It didn't take much searching before she found the beautiful blonde in the student council room doing paperwork. "Hello Tsubomi." Hikari's innocent smile wavered slightly at the sight of the irritated girl. "Is something wrong?" She pulled out a chair for her younger friend and pushed her papers to the side.

"What are you doing over break?"

"Mostly paperwork like normal. Why?"

"My parents want me to come home for break. But I'm supposed to bring a friend."

"Oh, I see. Being Etoile prevents me from leaving during break, or I would accept the offer. I'm sorry. Have you asked Yaya?" Hikari stifled her giggles when Tsubomi scrunched up her face in discomfort.

"Why would I bring Yaya? Besides, I doubt she wants to be around me anyway." The pink head tried not to let her face fall, but the pain didn't escape Hikari's prodding eyes.

"I heard about your argument earlier. That wouldn't stop her from going with you. Besides, I figure she would be happy to get away from Astrea for a while."

"Why would that make her happy? She only has a few months until summer break. She can leave then can't she?"

"Yes, but unless she comes home with me she doesn't get to leave. Her parents live overseas after all, and they can't afford to have her fly over for the summer. She hasn't been home or since her parents in two years. The past two summers she's came to live with my family and me." Tsubomi's eyes grew wide in shock. No wonder Yaya was acting weird on parent's day last week. Yaya never got to see her parents.

"I guess…" She pushed her pride to the side. She wanted to take Yaya with her, and from what Hikari said it wouldn't be hard to convince her. "I guess I'll take Yaya then. Thanks Hikari. Do you know where she is? I need to go ask her."

"I think she's in our room. She was headed that way when I saw her." Tsubomi nodded a thank you and hurried off to find the older girl.

After a few minutes of knocking on the door, she finally opened it and stepped into a room shrouded in darkness. "Yaya? Are you in here?" She carefully picked her way through the room, stopping next to a bed against one of the walls. She flipped on the lamp sitting on the neighboring desk, receiving a groan from a cocoon of blankets bunched up on the bed. With a heavy sigh, she nudged the blankets repeatedly. "Yaya. Wake up." A tiny opening formed in the head of the blankets, revealing squinting eyes scanning for the girl.

"What?"

"Wake up. You don't need to be sleeping this early in the day. You'll be up all night. Get up." She poked the side of the blanket pile once more, granting her yet another mumbled groan. Finally, the blankets uncoiled from the older girl as she stood up next to her younger friend.

"Why do I have to get up? I don't have tests tomorrow unlike the first years. I'm finished with mine." She finally noticed the extreme blush covering all of Tsubomi's face. Her deep scarlet features petrified at the sight of the brunette.

"Y-Yaya! Put some clothes on!" The pink head covered her red face with her trembling hands in embarrassment.

"Oh?" Yaya looked down, remembering not having any clean night pants when she changed. "I have underwear on you know. Its not like I'm naked." She shrugged, but grabbed a pair of short out of her drawer to settle the underclassman's mind. "Better?"

"Yes! What would have happened if it had been someone else?! Did you ever think of that?! Your door wasn't even locked! Baka!"

"Geez, calm down pipsqueak. Its not that big of a deal. Its too early to be bickering." She rubbed her eyes sleepily, debating whether or not to crawl back into bed.

"Sorry. I didn't come here to yell at you. I was wondering if you wanted to come home with me over break…" Tsubomi turned her face away trying desperately to hide her blush, but it didn't seem to matter.

"Why would I do that? And why are you here? You told me to leave you alone, remember?" She didn't care about the death glare she received from the younger girl. She was still upset about earlier.

"I didn't figure you would want to. I was going to ask Hanai to come, but her family already has plans."

"Why would you ask her?! I'm obviously the better choice in the deal!" Instinctively, Yaya closed the distance between them and wrapped her arms around Tsubomi's shoulders. "I bet you wouldn't have as much fun with Hanai anyway." The younger girl didn't fight it like usual, but she still felt uneasy. Yaya's cleavage was dangerously close to her face, and the smell of her shampoo surrounded her by waves of hair that engulfed her. It was an intoxicating smell that she would never get tired of.

"Fine, I'm leaving tomorrow afternoon. My last test should be over around noon. Be ready by then." Regretfully, Tsubomi managed to gently push the older girl away from her. "I'm going to go start packing now. Goodnight Yaya. Come to my room around 1:00 tomorrow. I should be back by then." The pink head ran off, barely able to contain her excitement. Yaya was actually coming to stay with her for a week. No one else, just her. She felt sick to her stomach from nerves, but still all the more happy that Yaya was the one to say yes.


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: Sorry this chapter is a little bit shorter than the others, but hopefully it will still be as good. I'm working on chapter 5 right now, so maybe I'll have it up in the next few days. Sorry I also only update at night lol, I seem to think better if I'm sleep deprived. Anyway, its short, but let me know what you think about the chapter! Review for me so I know your thoughts, what I need to fix, and what I need to stick with! Thanks! :)**

Yaya stretched as she stood up to stretch her legs in relief. She had been in the same sitting position on the train for four hours. Tsubomi was grabbing her suitcase out from under her chair sluggishly. It was quite late already. By the time they reached Tokyo, it was already after midnight. One of Tsubomi's teachers had caught them before they could leave the school grounds. After Tsubomi finished clearing up the problems, they were barely able to catch the last train that night.

Now they were in the middle of Tokyo after midnight, trying to hail a cab for a ride. Yaya wasn't having much luck with the cab. She hadn't been to that big of a city without her parents or a teacher before, so her survival skills were lacking. Tsubomi finally told her to watch the bags, and it wasn't more than five minutes before a car stopped for them. It took around an hour before they pulled up in front of a large house.

Yaya stared in shock, remembering that Tsubomi came from a wealthy family, unlike herself. "Holy shit…" The pink haired girl set Yaya's bag next to her feet, trying to contain her blush.

"What's wrong with you? Its just a house." The older girl's head snapped around still in shock.

"This is far from just a house! Who has a house this big?!"

"Me I guess. Now keep your voice down! We can't wake me parents. They'll be pissed if we don't hurry to bed." She folded her arms across her chest in a huff.

"I guess this is where your maturity originates from huh? Must not have been easy growing up in a rich family."

"I would be mature compared to you either way. Yaya is just like a little kid. You wouldn't know how to be mature if someone sewed it to your brain." A chuckle from behind her made her roll her eyes. She just thought everything was funny didn't she?

She led her inside quietly, but stopping next to the stair case to read a note from her mother. "Great." Yaya could hear her usual sarcasm coming through, even though she was so tired already.

She followed the younger girl up the stairs lazily. She really just wanted to crawl into bed and sleep for days. "So which room do I sleep in?" Her mind reeled at the sight of the long hallway filled with doors. There had to be at least ten doors stretching out in front of her.

"Actually, the note from Mom said all of our guest rooms were being renovated right now. So I guess you'll sleep in my room." A dark blush formed on her cheeks that she thanked the night for concealing.

"Alright. I'm cool with that. Do you have an extra futon? Or do I just grab some blankets and make a pallet?" Tsubomi opened her bedroom door and ushered Yaya in before switching on the light. Both girls squinted involuntarily at the bright light. The room was larger than any bedroom she had seen before. It was as big as six of the dorm rooms at Astrea. There was a desk with random office supplies and a laptop, a very large bed against the far wall, a few dressers and a mirror on the wall, and a long flat screen mounted against the bed's opposing wall. Quite an amazing room for a girl Tsubomi's age. "Geez. Guess I'll have plenty of room to make my bed huh?"

"Are you stupid? Why would I make you sleep on the floor?! Y-You're my guest. You can j-just sleep in the bed…" She tried to calm her breathing at the thought. "…w-with me." She jumped when she heard quiet laughter from behind her.

"It'll probably be safer for you if I sleep on the floor. Hikari won't even share a bed with me. She tried that the first time she got scared after she transferred, but that was the last time. She says I cuddle to much. Probably why I normally sleep with an extra pillow or something of the sort."

"My bed is big enough. It should be fine. Its not like the dorm beds, it isn't that small." She shrugged her shoulders trying to keep Yaya from seeing her trembling shoulders or hands and the intense blush spreading across her face. Just the thought of being in the same bed as her made her heart race. She knew Yaya would never like her the same way, but any amount of hope could turn Tsubomi into a jumbled mess inside.

It didn't take them long to change and crawl into their prearranged sides of the bed. Tsubomi waited and waited, but never felt the warmth of the older girl's cuddles. A somewhat depressed pout appeared on her face in disappointment. She was secretly looking forward to having been cuddled.

"Tsubomi?" The younger girl jumped in shock. Yaya's voice lilted through the thick silence of the dark room quietly. "Are you awake?"

"Yes."

"Oh. Well, I guess… I guess I wanted to thank you. For inviting me this week. I know you didn't have to, but I'm really glad you did."

"Me too."

"Really? Good." Silence fell upon them once more. It was only a few minutes before Yaya's quiet breathing could be heard, alerting the pink head to her friend's pleasant slumber. She curled unhappily, cuddling her pillow closer to her unconsciously. Even if they were a foot apart, the knowledge of having Yaya in the same bed as her put a smile brightly on her face. She drifted off to sleep, thoughts of her companion filling her dreams.


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: Sorry it took me so long to upload this chapter. I've been super busy and writer's block isn't helping. But I hope you guys enjoy it! :)**

Tsubomi could feel the morning sunlight spilling in through the curtains. Though she could feel the cool room air on her face, her body had stay comfortably warm throughout the night. She stretched happily, glad to be home for the week and able to spend it with Yaya. Just the two of them. It sounded nice. A confused expression covered her face when she noticed something was tangled in her legs, and something else was weighing heavily on her waist. "What the…"

She raised the comforter to look under, gasping quietly as her heart almost stopped. Two slender arms were snaked around her waist, holding her possessively. She raised the blanket a little more to look at her legs. Yaya's legs were tangled in her own, threading their way through like vines. They wrapped around her legs lazily, not giving her much wiggle room. She slowly placed the blanket back in place to keep from waking the older girl. Her heart was pounding harder than it ever had. A blush formed on her features heavily, though no one could see it thankfully. Was this what Hikari had meant by too much cuddling? Tsubomi sure wasn't going to complain about it.

Yaya was actually spooning her. She felt like she was in heaven. Basking in the warmth and comfort of the arms wrapped around her, she nervously moved into the girl's embrace. Yaya's arms and legs tightened around her instantly, letting a sleepy moan escape her mouth quietly. Tsubomi's mind blanked in happiness. Even if it was just in her sleep, she was possessive and clinging to the younger girl. She could feel Yaya's breath glazing her bare neck every few seconds. It sent chills down her spine, and she placed a delicate hand on top of one of the arms looped around her.

The movement must have woken the older girl from her snoozing because all too quickly Tsubomi could feel her beginning to move. She quickly closed her eyes and pretended to be asleep before she got caught by her teasing friend. "Hmm." Yaya chuckled lightly at how tangled up she was with Tsubomi, but didn't make an effort to move. She only snuggled in closer.

Surely she could feel how fast the pink head's heart was beating, couldn't she? It would be impossible for her not to. It felt like it was going to leap out of her chest. Tsubomi's mind filled with anxiety as the older girl's actions sparked a panic attack in her younger friend. Slowly, Tsubomi's comforting warmth disappeared. She dared not move for fear Yaya was watching. A hand gently fell on her shoulder, shaking her lightly to wake her.

"Tsubomi. Hey, wake up. Tsubomi." The pink haired girl slowly opened her eyes to see Yaya standing next to the bed in her night clothes. A slightly loose white t-shirt and a pair of shorts that could almost be considered underwear from their length. Her legs were perfectly toned and her skin was as smooth as silk. Her long black hair fell around her in a curtain as she bent over to smile at the stunned girl. "Good morning. I hope you slept well. Where's the bathroom? You never showed me last night."

"Oh! Uh, turn left in the hall. Second door on the right." The dark haired girl floated out of the room gracefully. Tsubomi sighed heavily with her absence. Her heart was beating like crazy and she had no clue how to calm it down. Had yaya been cuddling her all night? Or was it only right before she woke up? No, it had to have been all night. When both girls woke up they had to stretch from being in the same position for too long. Yaya had spooned her all night, and to top it off they were so tangled up that Tsubomi couldn't have gotten up without waking the girl if she wanted to. "What am I thinking? She warned me about this didn't she? There was nothing more to it. I was just her makeshift teddybear for the night. There's nothing more to it. Yaya would never…"

Said girl entered the room again, surprising the pink head. Still so early in the morning, she never let her brilliant smile slip from her face. She sat down on the bed next to the younger girl happily. "Did you sleep well last night? I did." Her smile seemed to brighten little by little. Tsubomi was saved from embarrassment by a knock on her bedroom door.

"Come in!" She sat up next to Yaya, trying to wake herself fully. The older girl shifted her smile to Tsubomi's mom who walked through the door.

"Good morning girls. I hope you had a good trip last night. I know you must have gotten in quite late. Breakfast will be ready soon. Why don't you two get dressed and come on downstairs?" She didn't care to wait for their answer, quickly scurrying out the door and closing it behind her.

"Guess we better get dressed huh?" Tsubomi shot out of the bed before the older girl could stand.

"I'll go change in the bathroom, and I'll be waiting at the end of the hall for you." She grabbed a t-shirt and a short skirt on her way out of the room. Her face was a brilliant scarlet. Her heart would have exploded had Yaya taken her shirt off or seen Tsubomi trying to change herself. This was going to be a very long week, and Tsubomi was accepting the suicide with open arms. She didn't care if it killed her before school started up again, she was truly happy Yaya was the one to spend the week with her. She changed quickly, idling at the end of the hall like she said she would.

Yaya didn't take long to get ready, so they made it to breakfast just as Tsubomi's mother finished up. "Good morning girls! Hope your trip went well." Tsubomi's father was sitting on a bar stool next to the counter reading his morning paper.

"Yaya I'm so glad you could join us for the break. Tsubomi told us how excited she was that you were coming with her, and it was all we could do to not let her bring you early. We could barely keep her calm." Mrs. Okuwaka giggled at the dumbstruck Yaya, who turned to see a furious blushing pink head beside her.

"I never said that!" Tsubomi's sister chuckled and patted her back comfortingly. "Can we just eat now?" She kept her head down to avoid eye contact with her friend, hoping her family would take the hint and drop the subject.

She pulled Yaya down in a chair at the table, taking her seat as well. Her family moseyed around, but eventually everyone was seated and enjoying the wonderful breakfast. As the breakfast progressed, Yaya couldn't help but smile and laugh at everything they would do. It was the most family-like setting she had ever been in. Her own family never sat around a table to eat like this, but was scattered across the city for every meal. Whether it be work, school, clubs, friends, or spouses, they never bothered to eat together. It was a very foreign experience for her, but she loved every second of it.

"So Yaya, tell me. Does a beautiful girl like you have a boyfriend? You must not get to see him much because of Spica am I correct?" Yaya's cheeks flushed bright red at the question. Tsubomi watched in pity as she fumbled over her words, up to the tips of her ears burning red hot.

"Dad! You can't just nonchalantly ask that! And what if she has a girlfriend instead? How would you feel then?" The pink head's rant was short lived.

"A girlfriend? Would that be you?" Everyone laughed at the young girl's gaping mouth.

"No sir, I have neither." Yaya jumped in to save the drowning girl to repay the favor.

"I keep telling Tsubomi she needs to find an upperclassman girlfriend because she's so much more mature than the other girls in her year, but she just won't listen." Mrs. Okuwaka feigned a heavy sigh.

"Mom! Why should I settle for someone when I know there's only one person worthy of me?!"

"And that would be?" A smirk walked across the older girl's face as she played along.

"Stop it! I was trying to help you and now you're throwing me under the bus too?!" Laughter rang out around the table. The meal finished in laughter and family stories that made Tsubomi want to crawl under the table.

"Shall we go back up to my room?" The older girl nodded, following Tsubomi out of the kitchen and back up the stairs.

"You're family is a lot of fun. I'm glad you have a loving family."

"Why? They're just a bunch of dorks." She couldn't quite hide the tiny smile playing on her features.

"Because you deserve a nice family. Astrea is stressful, its nice to come home to something so wonderful."


End file.
